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ScubaSpa Ying - maldives Liveaboard

Scubaspa Ying Maldives

10% off on this trip 17-24Nov18 down to $2,052 per person - click on your preferred date to see more information about that specific trip.

Scubaspa Ying was launched in 2014. Together with its identical sister Scubaspa Yang, it is the largest vessel ever built in the Maldives. Designed and sculptured using decades of experience in both the construction of sea vessels and the use of boats in Maldives tourism. From the immense strength of its GRP hull and frame to the fine imported materials used to create a perfect balance of light and texture with spaciousness and intimacy, whilst advanced marine engineering ensures excellent sea going performance and comfort.

Scubaspa Ying is an inspiration second to none, offering an unforgettable holiday of a lifetime on board a luxury safari vessel. Whether diving or enjoying daily treatments in the sumptuous Spa, you will receive the finest and very best from both worlds. The Scubaspa experience will remain with you long after your journey home.

Floating in a sensuous and romantic ambience of light and space, beautifully styled in every detail, you will discover many places on board to socialise and relax. With panoramic views of the ocean, intimate areas for privacy as well as specially designed terraces for sun worship, you will find your place to dream.

In our restaurant we present the best traditions of fine dining with an international flair. Our chef will be offering a varied cuisine combining fresh produce with the finest wines, whilst delicious refreshments are in constant supply throughout the day from the two bars onboard.

As you would expect, our boat crew are all highly professional both as individuals and as working unit, and so they should be. Our amazing crew views your safety and comfort as their primary concern. From your captain to his deckhands, from the cruise manager to your waiter, they all want to show you just how very important you are to us. We want you to return time and again, we want you to view Scubaspa as the place you come to when you need to “reconnect”. Our elite team is here to help that happen.

Once you get onboard we will guide you through the safety procedures that have been put in place for your safety and protection. There is nothing more important to us than that you enjoy your experience without coming to any harm.

ScubaSpa Ying - gallery

ScubaSpa Ying - prices

Prices are in US$ per person based on 2 persons sharing a cabin
Exact pricing is available on the schedule here as prices vary dependant on the time of year and the length of the trip and sometimes special offers are available.

Scuba package

Your SCUBA holiday package includes:
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Transfer from and to the airport (on regular arrival and departure days only. Should you arrive or depart during a tour, we will be happy to arrange for your transfer at additional cost)
Full board accommodation

Welcome drink
Unlimited drinking water
15-17 dives/week (tank weight) (The number of dives is max 17. They guarantee 15, but will try on every tour to make 17 - 3 dives a day/5days and 2 dives on Friday, The total number of dives should be 17 but due to weather conditions or navigation it may vary 15-17 but we always try to do 17.)
Canned juices and selection of specialty teas and coffees available free every morning until the end of breakfast at 09:30
Yoga classes every morning
Snorkeling, equipment included
BBQ on a sandy island
Sunset cocktail with alcoholic drinks at the courtesy of Scubaspa on farewell night
Excursions
The Scuba option is only open to certified divers. Once onboard, those who have booked the Spa option can request a Discover Scuba Diving or maybe even an Open Water Course. Those who have selected the Scuba option may also book Spa treatments, depending on availability. Couples who have chosen one SCUBA holiday and one SPA holiday package may exchange dives with Spa treatments between them.

Spa package

Your SPA holiday package includes:

Transfer from and to the airport (on regular arrival and departure days only. Should you arrive or depart during a tour, we will be happy to arrange your transfer at additional cost)
Full board accommodation
Welcome drink
Unlimited drinking water
8 Spa treatments/tour
Yoga classes (dependent on availability)
Snorkeling equipment
BBQ on a sandy island
Excursions

Scuba and spa package

Your SCUBA SPA holiday package includes: (certified divers only)

Transfer from and to the airport (on regular arrival and departure days only. Should you arrive or depart during a tour, we will be happy to arrange for your transfer at additional cost)
Full board accommodation
Welcome drink
Unlimited drinking water
6 dives/week (tank weight)
4 Spa treatments/week
Yoga classes (dependent on availability)
Snorkeling equipment
BBQ on a sandy island
Excursions

Honeymoon Special

HONEYMOON special package is only combined with our regular packages at $199++ per person.

Terms and conditions:

Individual bookings:
Booking deposit:
30% of booking is required within 7 days of booking - non refundable
70 % is due to 90 days prior to departure - non refundable.
Balance due 90 days before your trip departure date - non-refundable.
Individual booking made less than 90 days before the departured ate are payable in full at the time of booking.
Cancellation at any stage involves forfeit of monies already payed.

Group charter:

Booking deposit:
10% - within 7 days of booking - non-refundable
Second deposit:
20% 180 days prior to departure - non-refundable
Balance due

There is now a new Green tax from the government of $6 per person per night that will be in your invoice suprlus to the trip price.
There is a 15% supplement for the Christmas New year trips.

Arrival and boarding

It is recommended to fly into the Male International Airport (MLE) on the day that your charter starts.

The airport is a ten-minute boat ride from the capital, Male. If you arrive on the day of your charter, you will be greeted at the airport and transported to ScubaSpa Yang on our Diving Dhoni. If you flyin prior to your charter date, you should meet in the airport arrival area at a pre-arranged time on the day of departure. Our Crew will have a sign that says “ScubaSpa Yang”. Please notify us of your arrival time and / or hotel reservations 30 days prior to travelling. ScubaSpa Yang anchors off Male about 15 minutes from the airport.

If you would like to arrive the day before it is possible to stay in the airport hotel which is on the adjacent island (HulhulMale) as the airport (Hulhule island) or stay in another guesthouse on Hulhulemale Island for the night, we don’t recommend booking somewhere in Male as this involves a ferry ride to the next island. If you stay on Hulhulemale island your hotel will then deliver you back to the airport the following day (the day of departure) where you will be met by the boats representatives and taken directly to the ship. Please check with your hotel / guest house if this is a free transfer as some of them charge for this service. Planes do not fly late into the night so you will be able to sleep.

Passports and documentation

Visitors must have a current passport (valid for at least six months on arrival), adequate funds to support themselves and a return airline ticket to travel to the Maldives. Visas are issued upon arrival. It is the travellers’ responsibility to ensure they have the proper documentation to travel to the destination and return to their country. Please check with the appropriate consulate to ensure you have the proper documentation. Always check your passport and visa requirements.
We cannot assume responsibility for passengers not having correct documentation.

ScubaSpa Ying - cabins

This boat caters to a possible 40 guests in 21 en-suite rooms. The 21 rooms are made up of 12 Sea Star Cabins (one of them can be used as twin; one double bed one single or triple, or double), 1 Cowrie suite (double or twin or triple), 3 Dolphin Suite (double) and 5 Manta suites (double, 4 of this suites can be used as twin).

In our restaurant we present the best traditions of fine dining with an international flair. Our chef will be offering a varied cuisine combining fresh produce with the finest wines, whilst delicious refreshments are in constant supply throughout the day from the two bars onboard.

As you would expect, our boat crew are all highly professional both as individuals and as working unit, and so they should be. Our amazing crew views your safety and comfort as their primary concern. From your captain to his deckhands, from the cruise manager to your waiter, they all want to show you just how very important you are to us. We want you to return time and again, we want you to view Scubaspa as the place you come to when you need to “reconnect”. Our elite team is here to help that happen.

Once you get onboard we will guide you through the safety procedures that have been put in place for your safety and protection. There is nothing more important to us than that you enjoy your experience without coming to any harm.

ScubaSpa Ying - diving

Maldives diving conditions

The climate is warm year round and determined by the monsoons. The monsoons are mild and not as defined as in neighbouring countries. The northeast monsoon starts in January and goes through the end of April. In January and February the currents can be very strong but the big animal activity can be fantastic. The beginning of January brings clear water to most of the region which can be over 60m (200ft) visibility. Underwater visibility in the Maldives is determined by the tidal movements with incoming and outgoing tides. The monsoon patterns have a significant impact on the diving. From May to October, the southeast monsoon brings more big animal action and is the ideal time to go North to places like Baa Atoll.

The air temperature varies little with an annual average of 30C (90F) and minimum of 26C (80F), while the water temperature ranges from 26C (80F) to 30C (86F).

Diving is carried out from our purpose built “diving dhoni” that will not anchor but will follow the divers from the surface. This is the safestand most comfortable way to dive in the Maldives due to the wind and currents. Every diver will have their own Dive Station with their own basket where for storing their diving gear, which will always remain on the diving dhoni. The system leaves the main boat free to handle accommodations, meals and social activities in a quiet atmosphere.

Most guests make up to 3 dives a day, so some sort of protection is needed. A 3mm wetsuit should be comfortable and adequate.

There is a law in the Maldives that the depth limit is 98 feet/ 30 metres. The Divemaster requires proof of certification before the first dive. Proof of your Dive Insurance will also be required, as well as the signing of our Waiver of Indemnity form. Every effort is made to ensure you have a safe trip. However, unforeseen circumstances can and do happen. Therefore, dive accident insurance and travel insurance are compulsory. A reasonably priced DAN Dive Insurance may be purchased onboard.

The Maldives offer the best that diving and snorkelling has to offer, Manta rays are guaranteed on pretty much every trip and there are a myriad of sites where you can see these beautiful creatures of the sea.
All of our liveaboards will do the best to give you the best experience possible dependant on the current conditions on the date of your trip and our boats are liveaboards for people enthusiastic or serious about their diving but also welcome snorkellers and non-divers who will have their own separate itinerary.
One of the highlights of any Maldives safari is the possibility to see one of the gentle giants of the ocean. Whale sharks are unusually common in the Maldives and are seen nearly year round in some areas and all our liveaboards will do their utmost to give you this chance encounter of a lifetime.
Diving from a liveaboard in the Maldives is without doubt one of the cheapest and easier ways to experience the best that the Maldives has to offer and these are, in our opinion, the best liveaboards in the area in terms of value for money, comfort and quality of service.

Maldives dive sites

Ari Atoll - Some of the popular dive sites

Kudarah Thila

Type of dive: Reef diveDescription: One of the best dive sites for soft coral and fish life.
The marine life here is so abundant, that the divers have named it ‘fish soup’. The thila is in a circular shape and can be covered in a single dive at different depths, if the current is not very strong.

Maaysa Thila

Type of dive: Reef dive / Night diveDescription: The thila is about 80mters in diameter.

The whole thila can be done at different depths in a single dive. There are manycaves and overhangs around the thila. The large rocks on the north eastern side have large black coral trees growing on them. The site is famous for the sharks and a great barracuda which reside here. The site can be dived at any time of the day, each with different activity going on the reef. The best chance to get close to these creatures is at night time, when they are hunting. You will see sharks, barracudas, rays and eels trying to grab a morsel.

Bathala Maaga Kanthila

Type of dive: Drift diveDescription: The northern tip of Magaa reef extends into Bathalaa Kandu and is home to a number of grey reef sharks and white-tip reef sharks. They can be seen patrolling along the reef looking for food.

Maalhos Thila (Blue Curves)

Type of dive: Drift dive / Reef diveDescription: The thila is known for the abundance of soft coral growth on the thila, particularly the blue/violet colored variety that grows on the ceiling of the caves and overhangs, thus the name ‘blue caves’. In addition a large variety of fish life can be observed here.

Rasdhoo Madivaru

Type of dive: Drift dive / Channel diveDescription: The reef on the southern side of Rasdhoo drops vertically to the ocean depths. The site is home to a school of Scalloped Hammerhead sharks (sphyrna lewini). In the early hours of the morning they rise from the deep waters off the atoll into the shallower depths, accessible to divers.

South Male Atoll - some of the more popular dive sites

Guraidhoo Kandu South

Type of dive: Drift dive / channel diveDescription: Since the eastern side of the channel is Open Ocean, large predatory fish can regularly be spotted here. This site is famous for sightings of sharks, schools of eagle rays and the occasional Sail fish and Hammerheads. The best condition to do the dive is when the current is flowing into the Atoll. The dive begins on the outer reef following the current into the atoll. Most of the pelagic species can be observed on the eastern side, where the reef drops off into the deep ocean.
At the end of the dive in the channel, along the reef you can find overhangs with plenty of soft coral growth and small fish.

Kandooma Thila

Type of dive: Drift dive / reef diveDescription: Located in a channel, the reef is subject to strong currents at times. The ocean currents carry lot of nutrients to the reef, supporting an abundance of sea life.
The site is well renowned for the soft coral growth, turtles, diverse fish life and invertebrates found on the reef. At the reef slope you may find sharks and eagle rays.

Embudu Kandu (Express)

Type of dive: Drift dive / channel dive.Description: Similar to Guraidhoo Kandu, but more sharks are likely to be spotted here.
The currents can be very strong at times. The stronger the current however the better chance of seeing sharks. Under the guidance of an experienced dive guide, the dive can be managed done easily.

Best of the Maldives itinerary aims to mix up big fish manta and shark dives with scenic reefs dives, hunting out the smallest reef fish, morays and macro life that are so abundant. Cleaning stations allow you to get up close and personal with massive Maldivian manta, and dives at Manta Point, Dhonkalo Thila and Madivaru provide just such opportunities. Maaya Thila is one of the best known dive sites in the Maldives and for a good reason. This pinnacle is about 30m diameter that descends to reveal sharks and fish a plenty. Night diving here is hard to beat and should not be missed. Log yet more pelagic sightings as grey reef sharks patrol the Ari Atoll area. The boat will also take some time out along the route to look for whalesharks you can snorkel with - grab your fins as these gentle giants can move fast!